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sajadali · Site Admin Joined: 16 Jan 2006 Posts: 268

Adaab of the Shaykh

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Adaab of the Shaykh

Within the spiritual tradition, there is a map of the terrain held within the writings and the teacher's memory. Books, stories, discussions and direct experience are all part of this map. As one traverses the path, understanding of various methods become clear.

The purpose of the Sheikh is to show you the path. To take the student to the curtain of unity. Beyond the curtain is the student's destiny. The student must humble himself/herself to the observations of the teacher, examining those aspects of oneself that needs to be purified. Remember you cannot pass through the curtain by 'yourself'. Just by joining the Sufi Order you are not going to go to Allah. You should do what the Sheikh suggests to you. He is not ordering you to do these things, he is just showing the way. Therefore the mureed should have outmost respect for the teacher as he takes the student to the gate of knowledge and beyond that.

The Sheikh or teacher should represent your model and goal as a human being. In some ways it doesn't matter if the teacher gets angry or presents unpleasant characteristics. The intention is to make that person your highest ideal and to look for those aspects you desire and admire.

The teacher is there to deliver the teachings. Don't get stuck in thinking that the teacher is the teachings. The teacher is a human being who has studied and practiced the teaching longer than you.

And yet, what you project on the teacher is part of the process. If you practice the highest form of human being in your teacher, you create that within yourself. You are initiating the real teaching and growth. Imagining the teacher embodies the teaching will lift you beyond your own limitations, and form a bridge to your higher self. You cannot do it on your own because of the hard shell of opinions and adaptations that surround you. By making that shell permeable and flexible, we observe who we truly are and that which we have accumulated.

Remember you have to have your own Sheikhs adab with you by showing respect to him, whether he has passed away or not. You have to be connected to him all the time and assume that you dont exist, that your teacher is the one who is running your affairs. You have to be humble and modest.

Listened to the advice of one of the servants of Allah: Always have the best intention towards your Sheikh (Teacher). Do not abuse, slander or have your own opinion of what he says and does, or expose him to any evil. If he is true, then you will benefit by him. If he is a liar, Allah will give you benefit because of your intention.

In Sufism, a Sheikh should:

Follow the Prophet Salallahu alaihi wasallam.
Follow the Sharia and act from the Sunna.
He speaks what's in your heart. He answers questions that you have not spoken aloud.
When you are in his presence, you forget your troubles. He takes your load. You feel your troubles lifted.
He praises Allah and not himself. He points to Allah and not himself.
He has a silsila (lineage) and a licence to teach the path.
Practices what he preaches.

The teacher has to be on a very high adab level:

His adab to his Sheikh and his silsila, ultimately to the Prophet (pbuh).
His adab to the general public.
His adab to his murids.
His adab with other Sheikh's.
His adab with other Sheikh's murids.

His adab to his Sheikh:

In order to be a Sheikh and to continue as a Sheikh, the teacher has to follow his own Sheikh. The teacher has to show respect towards his Sheikh, whether living or not. The teacher has to be humble and modest. He always has to take the Prophet (pbuh) as an example. His actions have to be correct with the Sharia, Tariqa, haqiqa and marifa.

His adab to the general public:

A sheikhs adab with the general public is based on his remembering that he is representing the Prophet sallahu alaihi wasallam and he must act with each person according to his/her level of understanding. The teacher has to be modest, more tolerant and should not despise anybody.

His adab to his mureeds:

With his own murids the Sheikh has to act with kindness, love and compassion. The goal should be only their own good. The teacher's purpose is to help the murids reach his spiritual goal, to help him discover himself, to help him reach Allah. The Sheikh guides the murids to the Unconditional Love of Allah.

The Sheikh may at times appear to be ruthless and harsh. He may say things which seem to cut deeply and hurt as he attacks the lower self of the mureed, who is then thrown into confusion. From within this chaos the mureed is enabled to see certain base character traits of himself and having recognised them as negative he can then rectify them.

The mureed has to realize that in reality the Sheikh does not scold him out of vindictiveness or actually say anything hurtful but rather that the teacher was simply bringing out of the mureed his base character traits which were so deeply hidden. It is only the guilt and fear within the mureed that were receiving them as words of criticism and pain. This the Sheikh does from what is good for the mureed.

The Sheikh should never try to take advantage of his murids. If they have money or properties, he should not try to get these away from them for his own use. If they donate or give willingly for the Tariqa (silsila) or for Allah's sake or for himself, then it is acceptable. But he should not devise a plan to take their money or properties.

His adab with other Sheikhs:

He should always treat other Sheikhs as his equal or better. A teacher should not try to show that he is greater than the other Sheikh, this is true adab.

His adab with other Sheikhs murids:

A teacher should not take other Sheikhs murids as his servants or try to get their money. A Teacher should not try and steal other Sheikhs murids. This is a shame. It is not important how many followers a Sheikh has. The important thing is how many of them the Sheikh took to Allah.

A true Sheikh serves Allah only, and he lets Allah do everything. He gives the truth. He represents the truth and nothing but the truth. So we all have to follow the Prophet's Sallallahu alaihi wasallam footsteps in Sharia, in Tariqa, in haqiqa and in marifa. May Allah help all the Sheikhs to be true, may Allah help us all to clean ourselves inwardly and outwardly. Ameen.